1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for classifying and transferring bar code data read with a bar code reader, more particularly to a system for classifying a bar code data under a specified processing in accordance with an attribute given to an individual bar code to perform transfer processing for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bar code is now widely used as an identification code for an article of trade or the like which is distributed in the market. And such a bar code gives important data when sales information is collected and managed intensively for each article and for each sales point of time in a convenience store, a supermarket or the like. Moreover, such a bar code is also utilized as means for saving labors, instead of inputting data from a keyboard into a personal computer or the like through complicated operation steps. In this case, a specified operation step is previously allocated to a bar code, and the bar code is simply read and inputted with a bar code reader, thus executing an operation step allocated to the bar code. As a development example for saving labors of this type, there exists an invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 7-219876 filed by the present applicant.
In general, such a bar code variously applicable is preferably made as small as possible in size from viewpoints of minimizing its influence on an article appearance such as packaging and so on. In order to meet such a demand, the present applicant has developed a so-called xe2x80x9cmicro-bar codexe2x80x9d having thinner bars, the thinnest one of which has an about 100 xcexcm, and in which an area of the bar code can be limited to a range from about {fraction (1/20)} to {fraction (1/30)} in comparison with that of the conventional general bar code, and has also put a micro-bar code reader into practical use, which is capable of reading the micro-bar code with a higher accuracy (as disclosed in Japanese Paten Laid-open Publication No. Hei 5-182001 and so on). Through making the most of its miniature characteristic in comparison with the conventional bar code, the micro-bar code has been widely used as means for a simple display of article codes on catalogues and magazines. The micro-bar code reader itself is not limited to the use of being connected to a fixed terminal such as a shop register or a personal computer, but is planned to be connected to a portable terminal such as a portable telephone, thus enabling data inputting from anyplace and anytime.
As described above, the bar code, particularly the micro-bar code, is being expanded to various purposes of usage. However in this case, there exists a problem that a user must access sites different from each other in accordance with services the user uses, and must transmit the read data to the different sites. In other words, when using a service such as article sales, a user must telephone, or access the Internet to transmit the bar code data through a specified access point defined by each service provider. Although inputting of data has been simplified by bar-coding substantial information contents such as an order code or a service code, the user still has to select consciously a specified access point for each service provider to transmit the bar code data. Under such circumstances, the more variously the services are provided, the more complicated the user""s handling becomes. This lessens the convenience obtained with an effort.
The present invention was made in order to solve the foregoing problems. The object of the present invention is to provide a transfer processing system for bar code data, which is capable of reducing labors of a user who transmits, in which read bar code data is passed to a specified provider of a service or the like through predetermined processing without the transmitter""s consciousness.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, a transfer processing system for bar code data according to the present invention for executing delivering processing for the bar code data, comprises a delivering apparatus,
wherein the bar code data is read with a bar code reader connectable to a communication network and is sent out thereto, and
the delivering apparatus is connected to the communication network and receives the bar code data read with the bar code reader through the communication network;
previously defines and stores delivery destination information indicating delivery destination to which the received bar code data is to be delivered, the delivery destination information corresponding to an attribute given to the bar code data;
extracts the attribute of the received bar code data to read out the delivery destination information, which is defined corresponding to the attribute, and stores the bar code data in a specified area corresponding to the read delivery destination information; and
transfers the stored bar code data to a computer included in the delivery destination, which is specified by the delivery destination information, with a specified procedure.
A transfer processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, which is connected to a communication network for processing data read with a bar code reader and transmitted over the communication network, comprises a receiving portion for receiving the transmitted bar code data, a memory for storing a reference database containing a plurality of procedures, each of which corresponding to an attribute provided with the bar code data, a processor portion for determining the attribute of the received bar code data, the processor portion retrieving the received bar code data, identifying the procedure corresponding to the received data, and processing the bar code data according to the procedure specified by the attribute, and an outputting portion for transmitting the processed data to a remote location as defined in relation to the identified procedure.